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Thursday, September 28, 2023

"Snag" Thanking Hashem for Chabad


 BY  

For decades, Chabad’s want-to-wrap-tefillin legions made us feel uncomfortable. More bluntly, we mocked them.

To be sure, that was only half of the picture.

 We openly admired Chabad’s mesiras nefesh, and their very real love for all Jews. Parts of their modus operandi, including the tefillin thing however, just struck us as goofy. We couldn’t relate to hundreds of people spending all that time just trying to put tefillin on bemused non-religious Jews. Just how important could that single moment be? If anything, it seemed to violate our sense of the extreme kedushah of tefillin. We didn’t buy into the idea that acquiescing one time to humor a guy in a Fiddler On The Roof outfit would erase a lifetime of ignoring the mitzvah – something no one thought was his fault in the first place, having been disconnected from Torah for generations – and save him from the Talmud’s description of the fate of those who did not wear tefillin. Lots of wasted energy there. Better that the folks who manned the booths should be in the beis medrash.

Looking back at recent events in Israel, it appears that we were all wrong. So wrong, that perhaps we should be reevaluating how we do what is popularly called “kiruv.”

Hardly a day passes without some new anti-religious outrage going viral on social media. The context within which the shocking episodes is embedded is even more lamentable. People who have lived here for decades say that the hatred of charedim and Yiddishkeit itself has never been so palpable. The mayoral race in Tel Aviv pits a long-standing anti-religious mayor against a challenger who declares himself to be even more anti-religious. Both campaign openly not only against Chabad “missionaries,” but all forms of introducing religion to their proud, secular redoubt in Tel Aviv. Residents vow to keep out a wonderful dati-leumi yeshivah with a proven track record of care and respect for their neighbors. A different dati-leumi yeshivah – this one in Yerushalayim – sees a large demonstration outside its doors, claiming that all that is wrong with judicial reform owes to the fanaticism, racism, and messianism that is taught in their beis medrash

It’s not a pretty picture, especially during the Three Weeks.

But wait. This is only where the story begins. 

What strikes me as even more important is the extent of the backlash against these expressions of contempt for Judaism. 

Secular broadcasters donning tefillin, live on camera. Leftist journalists speaking of the horror of watching Jews voice contempt for their legacy, and for other Jews. Chabad tefillin stands reporting overflow crowds, and secular Jews volunteering to help them with their work. The pushback against the extreme seculars is usually – if not always – accompanied by appreciation and adulation for Chabad. Parts of the non-Chabad charedi press – not usually given to praising Chabad – comment on the goings-on by depicting the Chabad foot-soldiers as allies in a common cause.

The rest of us were wrong all along. We neglected to see what Chabad was really accomplishing with their tefillin booths. It had little to do with tefillin, and everything to do with conveying a simple but powerful message: We love you as brothers and sisters. You are worth our investing our time, energies and lives. Whatever you think of your level of observance or non-observance, we think that your being part of our people is important. Yiddishkeit belongs as much to you as it does to us.

That is what people have absorbed for decades. In part, it worked because more and more people travelled to parts of the world where their needs were catered to by selfless Chabad shluchim, who demonstrated their love for the Jewish people by devoting their lives to it.

The rest of us ignored Chabad’s model and created a competing one, which created a teshuvah revolution that changed the face of contemporary Orthodoxy. It operated on very different principles, and reached a very different audience. It offered classes, lectures, explanations, inspiration, and answers. To be sure, we learned that we had to be genuine in our concern for others, and effusive in our warmth. But we were interested in verifiable results: how many became Shomrei Shabbos in a given year. One major figure in Bnei Brak was quite explicit. Any kiruv that didn’t result in assuming the yoke of mitzvos was worthless.

What we built was an unqualified success – at least to the people it reached. Its products, and their children and grandchildren, fill our shuls, our schools, and our batei medrash. May the work of kiruv organizations continue to touch the neshamos of more and more Jews!

But it is a changed world. The vast majority of non-Orthodox Jews outside of Israel have assimilated even quicker than our own prophets of doom predicted. They don’t even have fond memories of grandparents who were somewhat observant. The religion of a growing number (Jews always need something to believe it) is wokeism; they have no room for G-d or even for Israel, except to distance themselves from it. We proceed at our own peril if we ignore the success of Chabad with its program for making other Jews feel important as Jews. They are the only ones who had a strategy of how to reach Jews who had no connection to observance at all. Outside of the frum population centers, they are the only act in town. We gave up on the Jews who live there, because we know we can’t survive without a minimum amount of frum infrastructure. Chabad didn’t and doesn’t demand that, and they are saving innumerable Jews from throwing in the towel.

I write all of this with firm bona fides as a “snag,” (as Chabad calls misnagdim), in no danger of going over to the Chabad side ideologically.

The good news is that the events of last week demonstrated how different Jews in Israel are from their cousins abroad. The backlash against the demonization of Judaism – may it continue to grow – tells us that we must make some adjustments in relating to our brothers and sisters who are not frum. Our form of kiruv should continue; we should also continue to take pride in the enormous contributions of our chesed organizations – which have also been spotlighted as part of the pushback.

 But we must find ways to interact more with Jews outside of our community, whether it is on the bus, waiting on line at stores, or shopping in the malls. Simply engaging in conversation with people whom we care about because they are our flesh and blood. Break down barriers. Erase stereotypes. It all starts with one-on-one interaction.

And thank Hashem for Chabad having opened our eyes to the opportunities in front of us.

Fetter'Tuchis Will have to wear a suit in the Senate as Senate unanimously moves to reverse ‘Fetterman Rule’ after massive blowback

 


The Senate passed a bipartisan resolution Wednesday to restore the formal dress code in the upper chamber following blowback over the loosening of the unofficial rule.

Under the resolution, which passed unanimously, senators will once again be required to wear business attire on the floor.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed a rollback of the dress code last week and the move was quickly dubbed the “Fetterman Rule” over Sen. John Fetterman’s penchant for wearing hoodies and baggy shorts.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who publicly split with Fetterman (D-Penn.) over the latter’s lax wardrobe, sponsored the resolution, along with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).

“As senators, we should demonstrate a high level of reverence for the institution in which we serve—and our attire is one of the most basic expressions of that respect,” Romney said in a statement.

“I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to call for a return to a level of dress becoming of the Senate,” Romney continued.

Earlier Wednesday, before the resolution was passed, Fetterman assured his Democratic colleagues that he would wear a suit while speaking or presiding over the Senate floor, Punchbowl News reported.

Last week, Fetterman took advantage of the short-lived loosened dress code and presided over Senate proceedings with his classic baggy shirt and large shorts.

He’s also known for donning a hoodie in the Capitol complex area.

But under the resolution, men on the Senate floor must wear “a coat, tie, and slacks or other longer pants.”

Many senators voiced outrage over the lowering of standards.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.), for instance, joked about wearing a bikini.

Nearly every Republican senator signed a letter complaining about the change.

The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Il.), even voiced his disagreement with the move.

Notably, the loosening of the dress code only applied to senators.

Visitors and staffers were still required to wear the classified coat and formal clothing.

Manchin claimed to have confided his misgivings about the change to Fetterman himself, before moving to reverse the change.

Before the rollback of the Senate dress code, senators would often yell out “aye” or “nay” votes from the cloakroom to avoid breaching the rules.

In his private remarks to Democrats on Wednesday, Fetterman said he’ll continue to vote from the cloakroom if he’s not wearing a suit, according to Punchbowl.

Fetterman had practically abandoned any semblance of adherence to the code since returning to the Senate from his multi-week hospital stint for clinical depression.

The 54-year-old senator was first elected to the upper chamber during the 2022 cycle and marked the only Senate flip of that year.

Iran infiltrates Pentagon


 A shocking new revelation from Semafor has implicated a Pentagon official, Dr. Ariane Tabatabai, as part of a covert Iranian communications operation dubbed the “Iran Experts Initiative”. Despite the report, the Pentagon has insisted that Tabatabai was “properly vetted” prior to her security clearance.

The investigation by Semafor focused on emails from Iranian top brass, exposing the initiative’s links to Tehran’s hardline regime. These correspondences allegedly tie Dr. Tabatabai and various “overseas scholars” to Iran’s foreign ministry, suggesting a potential influence over American policies.

Tabatabai wasn’t the only name on the list; others included aides to Robert Malley, a Biden administration envoy to Iran who faced a previous suspension for purportedly mishandling classified information. It remains uncertain if Malley’s earlier issues were connected to the aforementioned influence network.

The State Department’s Matthew Miller deflected concerns by referencing the age of the info, alluding to its near decade-old origin. The Pentagon, on the other hand, hasn’t clarified if they were privy to this alleged connection before the public disclosure.

In a recent CNN appearance, White House National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, sidestepped inquiries about the validity of these claims, stating they’re “still processing the reports.”

The “Iran Experts Initiative” reportedly had a free pass to Western policymaking, especially evident during the Obama administration’s 2015 nuclear deal negotiations. Semafor’s citation of a 2014 email revealed discussions between Iranian dignitaries regarding a select group of influential Iranian-descendants, including Dr. Tabatabai.

With previous allegations by Iranian dissident groups and Republican legislators against Tabatabai in 2021, the administration dismissed them as unfounded and racially biased. Yet, the current expose has reignited these concerns, with numerous Republican leaders demanding an immediate review of Dr. Tabatabai’s clearance.

Sanzer Rebbe Endorses Beit Shemesh Mayor Eliza Bloch

 

Mass Protest in Williamsburg Against a "poor" Bucharian Lady Because She is selling Esrogim!

 


A whole day Yom Kippur , the tzaddikim of Williamsburg were fasting and shukling banging their hearts out at "al Chait"; but it didn't take them long to find out that an old poor  Bucharian Lady trying to freed her family for Sukkos, was selling Esrogim in  their neighborhood. 

The tzaddikim are calling for a mass protest in front of her makeshift stall to stop her from making a living!

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Stupid Dumb insane Judge Arthur Engoron Evaluates Trump's Mar-a-Lago for 18 million!

 



DIN: How dumb can a guy get? Just down the block, the home of the late Rush Limbaugh was sold in March of this year for $155 million, and that home was miniscule compared to Mar-A-Lago.

I must say that it doesn't come from being "dumb" but comes from downright hate and cruelty! 

A New York judge’s Tuesday ruling valuing Donald Trump’s sprawling, headline-making Florida estate at $18 million has left industry experts perplexed.

In his verdict, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron delivered a bombshell ruling that the former president committed fraud by inflating the value of his wealth, with details including the monetary value associated with Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.

This decision, which came down without a jury, has sent shockwaves through political — and real estate — circles, especially that $18 million base value for the property.

One prominent Palm Beach real estate broker, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Post, “It’s utterly delusional to think that property is only worth $18 million.”

Engoron’s verdict holds Trump, 77, along with his family and his business empire, the Trump Organization,

 liable for fraud — a central allegation in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against the defendants.

In a 35-page judgment, Engoron sided with James, asserting that Trump had made unequivocally false statements in official documents to secure favorable terms with financial institutions.

Notably, Trump’s claims, such as his triplex penthouse in Trump Tower being 30,000 square feet when it was closer to 11,000, were also described by Engoron as “fraudulent” given their significant discrepancies.

The Singer "Pink" kicks out man condemning "Bris" at her concert: 'Get that s--- out'

 

Just give her a reason and musician Pink will kick you out of her concert. 

While performing in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, the star had zero tolerance for a concertgoer protesting in the middle of her set.

"What does that say?" the 44-year-old asked an individual holding up his phone in a fan-recorded video. "Oh wow, you're making a whole point right now aren't ya? Do you feel good about yourself?"

The man, who stood mere feet away from Pink in premiere seating, pointed his finger aggressively at the "So What" singer while saying something inaudible. 

"Are you gonna be alright? You spent all this money to come here and do that? Come on dude. I'm gonna have to buy a Birkin bag with that ticket money," Pink joked of the expensive and highly coveted Hermès bag. "Get that s--- out of here."

The man spun around and showed the audience the words on his phone. It read "CIRCUMCISION CRUEL & UNUSUAL."

"He wants all of you to read it. He came here tonight to talk about circumcision," the mother of two told the crowd. 

Irritated fans yelled at the man to "shut up."

While continuing to gesticulate and rant about his message, Pink stated, "Get out. We need to get that out of here. Get it out. Get that cancer out, man."

Security swiftly removed the man as fans booed his exit.

"I feel bad. I feel bad that he wasted his time tonight," Pink said as the protester exited the venue. 

Currently on her Summer Carnival tour, Pink has been subjected to even more peculiar fan behavior in recent months.

The recipient of a bizarre gift at her Hyde Park concert in London earlier this summer, Pink had a bag full of ashes tossed at her on stage. In a fan-recorded video, Pink is seen picking up a plastic bag, full of some substance, in the middle of her performance of "Just Like A Pill."

"Is this your mom?" the stunned singer asked, speaking directly to a member of the audience. 

"I don't know how to feel about this," she continued in bemusement, placing the bag down by a speaker before continuing on with her song.

A representative for the singer did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on either situation.

Remember When CEO of Israeli Software Company that Withdrew All Company's Funds and then Lost it in American Banks ? Israelis are now Getting Revenge on her!


Remember Eynat Guez? 

Back in January, Guez, the CEO and Co-Founder of Papaya Global, a billion-dollar Israeli software company, announced that she was withdrawing all her company’s funds from Israeli banks in response to the judicial reform, explaining: “This is a painful but necessary business step.”

Guez and many other Israeli hi-techs all took this painful but necessary business step, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy loop whereby they issued warnings about how the judicial reform would ruin the economy and they, then, went about trying the ruin the economy.

These days, Guez is trying to get the Saudi government interested in her company’s cloud-based system for employee management, and calculations of salaries, benefits, and payments for global companies and corporations.

Guez is scheduled to be a keynote speaker at the World Fintech Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in early December, the first Israeli woman entrepreneur ever to be so honored. invited to speak at a tech event in the Kingdom. Papaya Global expects to become the first Israeli company to attain a money transfer license in Saudi Arabia, sometime in 2024.

But Guez overlooked one factor: some folks in Israel hate her guts and are prepared to go a long way to hurt her business.

And so, in the spirit of revenge being a dish that is best served nine months after it starts cooking, Channel 14 political reporter Tamir Morag tagged the Saudi crown Prince, the Saudi Foreign Ministry, several other Saudi key players, and several other interested parties in this tweet:

“Hello my Saudi friends! Eynat Guez, who called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a murderer, is now asking for your money and plans to attend the World Fintech Show in Riyadh. Just wanted to let you know, so you can arrange a proper welcome for her.”

And he attached this blast from the past:

Anarchists Who Crashed Yom Kippur Prayers Drove Secular Israelis Back to their Yiddishkeit

 

Watch the video below. 

The man on the left is yelling bitterly at the progressive prayer crasher on the right: 

“One minute, come, explain to me, one second, it’s important to me because that’s the point I wanted to make. I am at Kaplan every Shabbat (referring to the weekly protests at the intersection of Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv – DI). Every Shabbat. I am a secular hi-tech professional living here, in Tel Aviv. So, what do you mean when you say, ‘You?’ When you say ‘You,” who is ‘You?’ Is it the color of my skin? The kippa? Who is ‘You?’ Who is ‘You?’ Come, explain to me, you, the enlightened leftist, who is ‘You?’ Because I’m at Kaplan, I’m at Kaplan every Shabbat, like everyone else, fighting for my democracy. And one day out of the year, when I decide to don a kippa, suddenly I become ‘You?’ Who is ‘You’ that you lay a stigma on like that?”



Poland seeks extradition of WW2 Nazi honored in Canada and Praised by Zelensky

 

Poland's Education Minister, Przemysław Czarnek, has initiated efforts to extradite Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Canadian, who was recently honored in the Canadian Parliament for his service during World War II. The controversy arose when it was revealed that Hunka had served in the Nazi SS Galizien formation during the war.

Zelensky Honors *LITERAL NAZI* As Hero with Standing Ovation

 

Sunday, September 24, 2023

ADL Jonathan Greenblatt .... Do Teshuva and Resign NOW!!!






Two and a half days before Yom Kippur, a jumbotron advertisement on a truck outside the Anti-Defamation League’s offices in New York urged Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL CEO and national director, to heed the theme of the High Holiday.

“It is time to repent and resign,” stated the ad, sponsored by the Jewish Leadership Project. “ADL CEO must go.”

Avi Goldwasser, co-founder of the JLP, told JNS that the nonprofit began using truck ads, which it contracts out, in the past year.

“It’s much easier than getting people to protest and make big signs,” he told JNS. “The truck moves around, so you get to educate more people.”

Goldwasser said that JLP recently dispatched a truck at Princeton University, which was covered in the student newspaper. And it is sending a truck to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where a “Palestine Writes” literary event from Sept. 22-24 is featuring several antisemitic speakers.

JLP ad campaigns have also targeted Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, he said.

“They get a lot of attention,” he said. “We like trucks.”

The aim, according to Goldwasser, is to get a response from the leaders of organizations that the ads target. “Yom Kippur is coming. It’s a big chance, Jonathan,” he said to Greenblatt, repeating the text of the ad: “Repent and resign.”

Goldwasser has no delusions that he and his colleagues have the power to get Jewish leaders to resign.

“It’s sort of the drip method,” he said. “You keep pounding. At some point, if he has any honor, if he has any shame, he may reconsider how helpful he is to the Jewish community, if he has any integrity.”

Kol Nidrei With Yitzhak Perlman and Helfgot

 

Friday, September 22, 2023

Zera Shimshon Parshas Ha'azinu Yom Kippur

 





Justice Department Going after Dems that don't toe the line and indict New Jersey Sen. Menendez and His Wife

 


DIN: We have a president sitting in the White House, who is a crook, a lying thief, and Menendez gets indicted. This is a message to all who oppose the deep state.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife have been indicted on charges of bribery.

Federal prosecutors on Friday announced the charges against the 69-year-old Democrat nearly six years after an earlier criminal case against him ended with a deadlocked jury. The latest indictment is unrelated to the earlier charges that alleged Menendez accepted lavish gifts to pressure government officials on behalf of a Florida doctor.

The Senate Historical Office says Menendez appears to be the first sitting senator in U.S. history to have been indicted on two unrelated criminal allegations. Menendez faces reelection next year in a bid to extend his three-decade career in Washington, and as Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate.

Lawyers for Menendez and his wife haven’t responded to messages seeking comment.

The first time Menendez was indicted, he had been accused of using his political influence to help a Florida eye doctor who had lavished him with gifts and campaign contributions. Menendez appears to be the first sitting senator in U.S. history to have been indicted on two unrelated criminal allegations, according to a list maintained by the Senate Historical Office.

The new charges follow a years long investigation that examined, among other things, the dealings of a New Jersey businessman — a friend of Menendez’s wife — who secured sole authorization from the Egyptian government to certify that meat imported into that country meets Islamic dietary requirements. Investigators also asked questions about the Menendez family’s interactions with a New Jersey developer.

Menendez faces re-election next year in a bid to extend his three-decade career in Washington, and as Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate.



Thursday, September 21, 2023

53 Former Agunot Celebrate a New Year of Freedom

 

At first glance, anyone entering the Jerusalem event hall last week might have thought they stumbled upon another festive event or a toast for the New Year. But it didn’t take long to realize that this was not just another party; it was a special celebration of freedom for 53 former agunot who had been trapped in their marriages by their recalcitrant husbands and were now liberated, thanks to the efforts of the Yad La’isha Legal Aid Center for Agunot. The gathering marked their beginning of the New Year as free women.

“I’m not really a party person, it’s not my thing,” said Gilat from Ma’ale Adumim. “But at this party, I find myself shedding all my burdens and feeling completely liberated because there’s nothing like the joy shared by women who have finally gained their freedom after a long struggle. "Among the celebrants was S., freed this year after a six-year struggle as an aguna. S, who married relatively young, suffered severe physical abuse by her husband from the very beginning. She was afraid to leave, but after their young son, who was late to start speaking, cried out “Mommy!” during one of her husband’s violent episodes, “It horrified me that my child’s first word in life was a cry of fear and terror, and that led me to the realization that I had to leave,” she recalled.

Even after their separation, S’s husband continued to wield violence against her, both physically and through threats. Progress was made when a social worker referred her to Yad La’isha, part of the Ohr Torah Stone network of educational institutions and social programs, which provides specially trained advocates and social workers dedicated to releasing and empowering victims of get abuse through four branches across Israel.

“Fortune favored her,” said S’s Yad La’isha advocate Dina Raichik. “Her state-appointed social worker took part in one of our lectures on get-refusal and thought that maybe, after so many years, we would be able to help her. To our delight, S can now begin this new year as a free woman, looking forward to building her future – and that of her children,” Raichik says.

Six years have passed since 53-year-old Gilat was freed by Yad La’isha, after five years of being a “chained woman” due to her husband’s refusal to grant her a get. Gilat sees the importance of continuing to celebrate the joy of women who have been released and, as important, continuing to support those who are still trapped. “Unfortunately, there are still many women waiting, and some of them joined us to celebrate and rejoice for those who finally received their get. We pray that they, too, will receive their freedom this year or at least by the next ‘get-celebration’,” she noted.

“It’s hard to put into words the excitement I feel when I see these courageous women celebrating their triumph in a battle for what so many of us take for granted – the right to autonomy and freedom,” said Pnina Omer, director of Yad La’isha. “There are women here from all walks of Israeli society – secular and religious, young and old, from the upper and lower class – all of them found themselves involuntarily united under the same label: ‘agunot.’ In the end, this problem doesn’t discriminate by gender or population group; any one of us could be the next to enter this unfortunate statistic. We are here today to celebrate the freedom of those women who were released, and to stand alongside those who continue to fight their battles.”

“It is deeply inspiring and encouraging to bear witness to the women who have suffered for so long to be able to come together and celebrate the new year and their newfound freedom,” noted Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone. “The plight of agunot trapped in abusive or dead marriages is one of the most pressing challenges of the Jewish world. Our Yad La’isha advocates will continue for as long as necessary to encourage preventative prenuptial agreements and push forward with their creative thinking and exceptional expertise to release as many women as possible. Part of our prayers this holiday season should be focused on the hope that many more trapped women will be able to break the chains of abusive relationships that entrap them and be given the gift of new lives of happiness and freedom.”

Ignorant, pathetic Merrick Garland wilts on the hot seat before Congress

 

You would think that an attorney general who has presided over the embarrassing debacle of the Hunter Biden investigation would express contrition, or maybe a little anger at the underlings who have shamed him, when he is hauled before a congressional committee to explain his failures. 

But alas, Merrick Garland is just another Mr. Magoo.

His department is ablaze but he knows nothing.

The nation’s chief law enforcement officer has no special insight into the malfeasance unfolding under his nose. 

He is just an oblivious bystander, unperturbed by the tyrannical turn the DOJ has taken under his leadership, persecuting his boss’s political enemies and coddling the crooked president’s crooked relatives.

Even though Garland used to be a judge, he makes no judgments at all.

He professes to have no view about US Attorney David Weiss’ farcical five-year “investigation” of the president’s 53-year-old son Hunter. 

“I promised the Senate that I would not interfere,” he told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

“I have not intruded or attempted to evaluate that, because that was the promise I made to the Senate.” What an honorable man, keeping his promises.

But he’s the ship’s captain. There is a fire in the hold, the vessel is going down, and he doesn’t even trouble himself to find out what happened.

“Have you had personal contact with anyone at FBI headquarters about the Hunter Biden investigation?” asked Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Watch Neturei Karta Embrace, Kiss and Hug the Iranian Murderer Raisi at the UN

 


Members of Neturei Karta, an extreme anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect, met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly today.


"We found that throughout the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, they respected and protected the Jewish community till today and you're only distinguishing that Zionism has nothing to do with the religion and the occupation is unacceptable,” said the Neturei Karta members who met with Raisi.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Dangerous Interpretations of the Torah Remain the Work of Satan, No Matter How Large the Kippah on those who advocate them.

 

Nobody told me there’d be days like these… Strange days, indeed.  Most peculiar, Mama!


In his classic play The Trial of G-d, Elie Wiesel argues that the defense of G-d may at times be the work of Satan.


 A clear example of this erupted in the last week, when God’s self-proclaimed defenders asserted, in the service of a physically dangerous and theologically dubious philosophy, that the Chumash’s own words are heresy.


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israeli pilgrims to stay away from Uman this year because of the continuing war in Ukraine.


 Echoing Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, Netanyahu explained that there are not enough shelters in Uman for the local population, and certainly not for the tens of thousands of Jews who travel there annually for Rosh Hashanah.


 But most “damning” was his assertion that “G-d has not always protected us, not on European soil and not on Ukrainian  soil.” 


This is not an opinion; it is a fact. 


Six million Jews died in Europe during the Shoah, and countless others in pogroms in Ukraine and elsewhere in earlier centuries. Whether or not this fits neatly into theological boxes is irrelevant; it is historical reality and cannot be denied. Sadly, these were times when G-d did not protect us.


As it happens, synagogues around the world read about this exact possibility just days ago in the weekly Torah portion:


 “I will display anger against them on that day, and abandon them, and hide My face from them, and they will be devoured, and many evils and troubles will come upon them…” (Devarim 31:17)


It is impossible to fully understand when and why G-d hides His face; while the Chumash explains that it is often a punishment for idolatry, the Talmud elaborates that the reality is more complex. Nevertheless, the fact that G-d is often hidden - and sometimes frightfully hidden - is an historical certainty anticipated by the Torah itself.


Like the Devil in Wiesel’s play, certain public religious figures and politicians immediately rushed to G-d’s defense, declaring Netanyahu’s words heretical, and claiming, against the words of the Chumash, that G-d has always protected the Jewish People. 


The editor of the Hebrew magazine Mishpacha tweeted,

 “When the ‘head of the camp of the faithful’ opens his mouth with words of serious heresy - and all in an official statement from the Prime Minister's Office - the entire theory of sweet Israel collapses like a tower of cards. In a place where there is desecration of the divine Name and rude and impudent speech toward G-d - we don’t give Bibi any respect.”


 United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler went further, asserting that the Holocaust was caused by the “Zionists,” not by G-d’s hiddenness, and saying that Netanyahu was ignorant. Sadly, these are not lone voices; many other supposedly religious individuals made similar claims. 


Let’s not forget that Netanyahu was not discussing abstract theology, but dissuading people from going to a country which is currently at war with an unpredictable Russia. 


The United States State Department issued a travel advisory that begins, simply and in bold letters, Do not travel to Ukraine due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. 


In echoing this warning, the Prime Minister was following the strict Torah requirement to do whatever is necessary to save lives. I do not approve of much of Netanyahu’s program, but in this particular instance he was right, and advocated an approach in line with Torah Judaism.


When a secular Prime Minister who does not observe Shabbat or keep Kosher supports following the Torah requirement of “You shall live by them” (Vayikra 18:5) and repeats the theology of divine hiddenness that we publicly read days ago, while those who claim to represent a religious worldview argue that words of Torah are absolute heresy… When religious journalists and politicians state that the book of Deuteronomy and history’s clear verdict are not authoritative, and instead advocate a shallow theology that violates Torah norms and thought and puts people’s lives in danger… 

We have begun to learn that merely claiming allegiance to the Torah has little or nothing to do with actually following G-d’s word. It has little or nothing to do with representing an authentically religious viewpoint. It has little or nothing to do with being a true servant of G-d. Superficial theology and dangerous interpretations of the Torah remain the work of Elie Wiesel’s Devil, no matter how large the kippah on those who advocate them.

Strange days, indeed


by Scott Kahan